The present invention relates to the field of composing and arranging music. More particularly it relates to composing and arranging music using a computer device, and to playing the composed and/or arranged music in accordance with a specific physical representation of the music.
It is known to create music while using a computer, e.g. by connecting a piano like keyboard to the computer. When the keys of the keyboard are activated the computer may note which key or keys has/have been struck. It may then play and/or record the corresponding tone and/or it may produce a graphical representation, typically musical notes/sheet music, and the graphical representation may be stored and/or printed.
It is also known to use various detection means for detecting the presence of a certain game piece in a certain position. This has mainly been used in computer games, typically in board games, such as chess or checkers, being played on a computer. Such arrangements have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,327 to Gilboa, U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,047 to Schwab and U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,447 to Dudley. U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,327 discloses a computerised game board, wherein it is possible to keep track of a number of toy figures on the game board by means of transponders being positioned in the toy figures. The information is transferred to a computer, so that the movement of a toy figure corresponds to the movement of a virtual figure of a computer game. U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,047 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,447 both disclose computerised board games, where it is possible to keep track of a number of game pieces being positioned on the board. The inventions of these references are particularly suited for positional games, such as chess or checkers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,185 to Yamaguchi et al. discloses an electronic musical instrument comprising a plural number of component blocks being capable of being coupled mechanically and electrically in succession. When the blocks are connected either the time range of a tone or a tone range of the tones generated from the instrument is changed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for composing and arranging music which is easy to use, so that e.g. children may use it, and so that it may be used as an educational toy. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an instrument building device which is flexible, so as to allow the user to build an unconventional instrument, and so as to support and enhance the creativity of the user.
Thus, according to the present invention is provided a device for composing and arranging music comprising
a sensor device having a plurality of receiving positions arranged in a two-dimensional array of which one dimension represents a temporal domain of the music,
a plurality of blocks each being suitable for being releasably arranged at each of the receiving positions, each of the blocks belonging to one of a plurality of sub-populations of blocks and having features being detectable by detecting means for detecting to which of the plurality of sub-populations of blocks a block arranged at a receiving position belongs as well as the position of said receiving position and for producing an output accordingly, wherein each block represents a predetermined musical feature, said representation being dependent upon the sub-population to which the block belongs as well as the position of the block on the sensor device along the second dimension of the two-dimensional array, the device further comprising
play-back means for playing music according to the detected positions and features of the block(s) arranged at the sensor device as well as according to the predetermined musical features.
The two dimensions of the two-dimensional array preferably arranged at least substantially perpendicularly to each other, but they may alternatively be arranged with any other suitable angle in respect to each other.
The temporal domain of the music is represented by the one dimension in such a way that when moving in a specific direction along this dimension (e.g. from left to right, from right to left or in an up/down direction), the musical representation corresponds to the music being played in the correct order, in a correct tempo etc. That is, a certain position along this dimension represents a certain point in time of the music. One unit of the temporal dimension may represent a single note/beat or it may represent a measure or part of a song or even a complete song. Alternatively or additionally one unit may represent xe2x80x9cpiece Axe2x80x9d of a song while another unit represents xe2x80x9cpiece Bxe2x80x9d, the two pieces not necessarily being of the same length.
The blocks may be releasably arranged at the receiving positions by means of gripping means placed on each of the.blocks, where each receiving position comprises receiving means adapted for engaging with the gripping means of the blocks. Such gripping means may comprise mechanical gripping means, e.g. similar to the ones known from the building bricks manufactured by LEGO(copyright), or similar to snap fasteners. Alternatively or additionally it may comprise any other suitable kind of gripping means, such as self adhesive tape, velcro(copyright) or similar gripping means.
Blocks belonging to the different sub-populations.are most preferably distinguishable from each other by visible characteristics, such as different colour, different shape or different patterns being drawn and/or stamped onto the blocks. Alternatively or additionally the blocks may be distinguishable from each other by characteristics which may be felt, such as different shapes or different patterns being stamped onto the blocks. In this case the differences may also be sensed by persons being visually handicapped or even by blind persons. Preferably the number of sub-populations is finite, most preferably less than 10, but there may be a larger number of sub-populations, and the number may even be infinite.
The features being detectable by detecting means may be the resistance of a resistor being positioned on the block, or it may be a pattern (e.g. a picture and/or a bar code or any other suitable pattern) which may be recognised by the detecting means, or it may be a transponder being positioned on the block or it may be any other suitable detectable feature.
The produced output may be an electrical or electronical output, such as a current signal or a voltage signal. It may alternatively be an electromagnetic signal, such as a visible, an infra-red and/or an ultra-violet signal, or even an X-ray signal. Alternatively or additionally the output may comprise an acoustic signal, such as a sound signal. The output should be significant of the block which has been detected and of the position of this block on the sensor device.
The predetermined musical feature may be a single note, a beat, or a certain musical phrase being played by a certain instrument or any other suitable musical feature.
The play-back means most preferably comprises one or more loudspeaker(s) and control means for controlling the output of the loudspeakers. The play-back means may comprise a tape recorder, a compact disc (CD) recorder and/or any other suitable kind of play-back means. The control means preferably comprises an amplifier.
The detecting means may be arranged on the sensor device at each receiving station. In this case the detectable features are directly detected when a block is arranged at a certain receiving position. Alternatively the detecting means may be arranged in a central position of the sensor device.
The play-back means may form a part of the sensor device. It may be a separate part of the sensor device or it may be an integrated part. Alternatively, it may be an external device, e.g. forming part of an external computer device or an external audio and/or video system.
The device may further comprise recording means for recording and storing music according to the detected positions and features of the block(s) arranged at the sensor device as well as according to the predetermined musical features. Such recording means may be a part of the play-back means, the play-back means thereby forming a device being similar to a regular tape recorder. The recording medium may be magnetic tape, a compact disc (CD), a permanent storage means (such as the hard disc of a computer device), a video tape, a DAT tape, a DVD disc, or any other suitable recording medium. The actual music may be recorded and/or a representation of the music, such as information regarding the position of the blocks or sheet music (such as the score of the music) corresponding to the music may be recorded.
Different positions along the second dimension of the two-dimensional array may represent different musical instruments, such as drums/percussion, bass, violin, guitar, piano, vocal, chorus etc. Two or more positions may represent the same instrument. For instance there may be one position representing the lead vocal and another position representing another vocal adding an upper part to the music, or there may be one position representing the first violins and another representing the second violins of an orchestra. This corresponds to having more than one of a certain kind of instrument in a band or orchestra.
The predetermined features represented by each block may be defined for each composition or arrangement of music. In this case the features may be xe2x80x9cprogrammedxe2x80x9d by the user every time a composition or arrangement is being created. For instance the user may record a vocal or instrumental sequence and define that this specific vocal or instrumental sequence corresponds to a block belonging to a specific sub-population (such as a red block) being positioned in a specific position along the second dimension (such as position three). Thus, in this case the user is completely in control of the arrangement/composition.
Alternatively, the predetermined features of at least some of the blocks may be globally determined. In this case the removal of a certain block results in the removal of the corresponding musical feature from the composition or arrangement. In this case it may be possible to acquire blocks (and the knowledge of how to position these blocks) according to a certain musical composition/arrangement, e.g. a popular song or an orchestral piece of music. The removal of a specific block will then result in the removal of the corresponding musical feature. It may thus be possible to remove, e.g., the bass part or the vocal part from a composition/arrangement. In this way a piece of music may be xe2x80x9cdissectedxe2x80x9d into musical components, thereby providing an educational toy, where it is possible to learn from where a certain sound/component etc. of the music originates.
The detecting means may comprise means for detecting the resistance of a resistor. In this case each block comprises a resistor, the resistance of which is significant of the sub population to which the block belongs.
The sensor device may be suitable for being releasably connected to another substantially identical sensor device, so as to allow for an extension of the sensor device in at least one of the two dimensions. Preferably, the sensor device may be extended along the first dimension representing the temporal domain of the music. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor device may be extended along the second dimension. In this case it may be possible to add additional instruments to the xe2x80x9corchestraxe2x80x9d. In case the play-back means forms a separate part of the sensor device, the extension may be performed by adding only a part comprising a number of receiving positions, the original sensor device and the added part sharing the play-back means belonging to the original sensor device.
Each block may be suitable for being releasably connected to at least one other block, so that two or more blocks may be positioned at the same receiving position. The blocks may be connected to each other in such a way that when they are arranged at the sensor device they extend in a direction being at least substantially normal to-the plane defined by the two-dimensional array of the receiving positions. Alternatively or additionally they may be connected to each other in another direction, or the receiving positions may simply be adapted for receiving more than one block, e.g. by the area occupied by a receiving position being substantially larger than the area being occupied by a block when the block is arranged at a receiving position. Preferably, the blocks may be interconnected by means of gripping means, the gripping means most preferably being identical or at least very similar to the gripping means used for arranging the blocks at the receiving positions, in which case the blocks also comprise receiving means for receiving the gripping means of another block. In case the detectable features comprises a resistor being positioned on each block, the presence of more than one block at a receiving position should result in the resistors of the two or more blocks being coupled in a parallel or serial coupling, whereby the detecting means is capable of detecting how many blocks are present at the receiving position.
The presence of two or more blocks at the same receiving position may represent an increase in the volume of the predetermined musical feature. It may alternatively or additionally result in the musical feature being played at one or more octaves above or below the musical feature being represented by the presence of one block, or it may represent any other suitable change in the musical feature.
The device may further comprise data communication means for establishing a temporary or permanent connection to an external computer device, such as a personal computer (PC) or a terminal being connected to a main frame system or any other suitable external computer device. The external computer device may comprise at least part of the play-back means of the device. The data communication means may comprise one or more electrical chord(s), such as an ordinary chord or a so-called bus, or it may be adapted for establishing a chord-less connection, such as an infra-red connection.
The external computer device is preferably adapted for converting the musical features represented by the blocks on the sensor device into a graphical presentation of the musical features, the graphical presentation being presented by presenting means connected to the external computer device. The graphical presentation may be in the form of musical notes/sheet music. Alternatively or additionally it may be in the form of other graphical symbols being-easier to learn and/or remember. This way it may be easier for children, persons who are unfamiliar with reading music, or even persons having learning disabilities such as dyslexia to comprehend the graphical presentation and/or translate it into actual music. This way an educational toy is provided.
The presenting means may comprise a monitor, such as an ordinary monitor being connected to the computer device, and/or it may comprise a printing device, such as a printer, a plotter, a telefax and/or any other suitable printing device.
The external computer device may be adapted for being at least temporarily connected to a global computer network. The global computer network may e.g. be the internet. The external computer device may be connected to the global computer network via a telecommunication network, such as by means of a modem or by means of a separate connection, such as an ISDN connection or by means of any other suitable connection.
The sensor device may be adapted for communicating with another substantially identical sensor device via the global computer network. The other sensor device is preferably also connected to an external computer device being at least temporarily connected to the global computer network, so that the two external computer devices may communicate with each other, or so that the two sensor devices may communicate via the two external computer devices.
According to another aspect of the present invention is provided a device for composing and arranging music comprising
a sensor device,
a plurality of blocks each belonging to one of a plurality of sub-populations of blocks and having features being detectable by detecting means arranged at the sensor device for detecting to which of the plurality of sub-populations of blocks a block being connected to said sensor device belongs and for producing an output accordingly, each block being suitable for being releasably connected to at least one other block,
at least one connecting part for connecting one or more blocks to the sensor device, so as to transfer information relating to the block(s) from the block(s) to the sensor device,
wherein each block represents a predetermined musical feature, said representation being dependant upon the sub-population to which the block belongs and each block comprises activating means, the device further comprising
play-back means for playing music according to the detected features of the block(s) connected to the sensor device as well as according to the predetermined musical features.
The connecting part may comprise an electrical chord, such as e.g. an ordinary electrical chord or a so-called bus, so that electrical signals may be transferred between the block(s) and the sensor device. It may alternatively comprise means for generating and means for receiving an electromagnetic signal, such as a visible, an infra-red or an ultraviolet signal, or means for generating and means for receiving an acoustic signal, so that information may be chord-lessly transferred between the block(s) and the sensor device.
The activating means may be electrical, mechanical, electromagnetic and/or any other suitable kind of activating means. They may be activated by pushing, pulling, blowing air into, plucking and/or in any other suitable way. They may even be activated by means of voice recognition. The activating means may be significant for each sub-population of blocks.
Two or more blocks being connected to each other and to the sensor device may constitute a musical instrument, each block representing a key of the instrument, the key being activated when the activating means of the corresponding block is activated. The xe2x80x9cinstrumentxe2x80x9d may thus be xe2x80x9cplayedxe2x80x9d by activating the activating means of the blocks.
The device may further comprise data communication means for establishing a temporary or permanent connection to an external computer device as described above.
The external computer device may be adapted for converting the musical features represented by the blocks connected to the sensor device into a graphical presentation of the musical features, the graphical presentation being presented by presenting means connected to the external computer device. This is preferably done in a way similar to the one described above.
The presenting means may comprise a monitor and/or it may comprise a printing device, such as an ordinary printer, a plotter or any other suitable printing device.
The external computer device may be adapted for being at least temporarily connected to a global computer network, and it may be adapted for communicating with another substantially identical sensor device via the global computer network as described above.
In the following is described a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
The embodiment described is a method of creating soundscapes and musical compositions, which is incorporated in the concept of building blocks. The way in which the building blocks are placed creates a unique soundscape. The method is based on a modular structure of musical elements.
The technology behind The musical block system is based on the ability of the computer technology to generate sounds, sequences and whole music pieces in a simple and easy way.
The Musical Brick
The block is the xe2x80x9cbuilding stonexe2x80x9d in the process of creating music. It represents a note, a rhythm, a melodic sequence or other musical parameters. The blocks can have many shapes and colours, but first and foremost the ability to be stacked vertically.
The Plate Part
The plate part is the object to which the blocks are attached. It is a two-dimensional array where one axis equals time, and the other one determines which instrument/sample track to activate. The plate is connected to a sensor part.
The Sensor Part
The sensor part is able to determine where the blocks are placed on the plate part, and which type they are. Computing this information the sensor device builds the soundscape/musical pieces of the musical elements on several levels.
This can be:
Song mode, for creating a whole song
Pattern mode, for experimenting with rhythm structures or certain melodic riffs
Sample mode, for recording real sounds and assigning t hem to a certain block.
The sensor part is equipped with a limited number of buttons to control play-back, recording, mode selection, volume and a few other features. It is equipped with a microphone and a loudspeaker. Furthermore the sensor part has the ability to be connected to a computer or to a storage media.
Sensor Bricks
The sensor blocks is an add-on feature, which allows the user to create instruments using simple blocks. There are different-types of sensor blocks; roll-sensors, pluck-sensors, air pressure sensors and sensor blocks responding to pressure sensitivity. These sensor blocks make it possible to recreate almost any of the existing instruments, and to develop new ones.